James Patterson - A 4-in-1 Review Spree

7th Heaven, The 8th Confession, The 9th Judgement, and 10th Anniversary by James Patterson
Women's Murder Club Novels


Reason for Reading: Catch-up in the series.
Date Completed: February, 2012

Lindsay Boxer, Cindy Thomas, Claire Washburn and Jill Bernhardt, the stars of 1st to Die and 2nd Chance, are the founding members of the Women's Murder Club. Later, in 4th of July, Yuki Castellano joins the Club. Together, they solve crimes in their home city of San Francisco, and often meet up to talk about clues and life over Mexican food and drinks at Susie's.

I don't think I have ever managed to read a series one right after another like this. It is not even my favourite series out there, but they are quick reads and I was very excited when I finished book 10 and could consider myself caught-up in one of my many series. I am not going to write a review of all four of them, but I thought I would share my random thoughts about these four books and the series as a whole. If you have any plans to read this series be warned that there will likely be spoilers for the series as a whole and for these individual books.

• My biggest pet peeve about this series is Claire Washburn. She is a fun, vibrant, loving character but I think way too much of a big deal is made of the fact that she is overweight. Actually, they take it one step further and tell you several times that she is a Size 16. I have no idea what size clothes the other women wear, or the men for that matter, but over and over again there are little comments about her size. Even when Lindsey is thinking about Claire there are mentions of how her clothes strain or how she hasn't lost all of her weight from her latest baby. I just think WAY too much attention is given to this. She is also black, which I actually forget about because her size is the more important piece of information. So, I think it is great to have characters that are not toothpicks in books, but don't shove that info down people's throats.(That being said... Did you see the show? There is no way the person cast to play Claire is overweight. (see picture above) We have issues in this world, people.)
• Another thing that baffles me is throughout these books there are mentions of great losses. They never once mention the death of founding member Jill Bernhardt. I would think considering how close they were to her and how she died it would be mentioned once in a while. It is like she never even existed.
• I was a bit sad when they introduced a transgendered character and went on about how a relationship would not be possible between him and Yuki because he used to be a girl. I know there are lots of misgivings about this in society, but it is up to media to try and put a different spin on it. I think there was a great opportunity in a very popular series and it was missed out on. It doesn't help that she is now with a cop who is 'perfect' for her. So, I have some mixed feelings about how this was handled.
• I don't want anyone to think that I hate this series. I obviously have read 10 books from it, so that is saying something. I do enjoy that it is a series about women working in what is predominately considered a man's world. Lindsey is a cop, Claire is a forensic anthropologist, Yuki is an ADA, and Cindy is a newspaper reporter. It is nice to see a series about women.
• I am rather iffy about the fact that Lindsey HAD to have a baby. I am trying to figure out how that will work for the series. I almost feel that it is sexist in thinking that children are so vital to women, but that could be because I have no plans to have children myself. I am pretty sure that I read some where that when Eve Dallas has children that will be the end of J.D. Robb's series, but I could be imagining things. I suppose that is why I am a bit hesitant about how this series is going to work now that there will be a baby in the mix.
• I wish the book was told from Claire's point-of-view once in a while. It might have been in previous books and I just don't remember, but not once in these four books do we see things from her. Lindsey's point-of-view is the predominant one, but Yuki and Cindy also have their time.
• That being said, I really enjoy seeing the world from the point-of-view of a female cop, ADA, and reporter. That is a view-point that is not shown very often.
• Overall, I do enjoy this series and look forward to book 11. It is not perfect, but it is a good diversion when you don't want to have to think too much.

(Don't mind the picture. I was having formatting issues and just gave up.)

The Series:

1st to Die (Not Reviewed)

2nd Chance

3rd Degree

4th of July

5th Horsemen (Not Reviewed)

6th Target (Not Reviewed)

7th Heaven

The 8th Confession

The 9th Judgement

10th Anniversary

4th of July by James Patterson (The Women's Murder Club Series, Book 4)

*This book was supposed to post on Saturday, but I apparently forgot to schedule it! In an attempt to catch-up on reviews (I am way behind), there are going to be three posts today!*

Book Completed: 36
Completion Date: February, 2009
Pages: 400
Publication Date: July 1, 2008

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

A young girl is killed in the crossfire after a routine arrest goes terribly wrong, and Lt. Lindsay Boxer has to defend herself against a charge of police brutality. In a landmark trial that transfixes the nation, Lindsay fights to save her career and her sanity.
While awaiting trial, Lindsay escapes to the tranquility of the beautiful town of Half Moon Bay. But the peaceful community there is reeling from a string of unspeakable murders. Working with her friends in the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay finds a link between these killings and a case she worked on years before - an unsolved murder that has haunted her ever since. As summer comes into full swing, Lindsay battles for her life on two fronts: before a judge and jury as her trial comes to a climax and facing unknown adversaries who will do anything to keep her from the truth about the killings. It all comes to a head before the big annual 4th of July celebration on the waterfront at Half Moon Bay.

In many ways, this book just seemed like a 'filler' book. After the case of police brutality is brough against Linday Boxer and she gets away from things for a while, the book doesn't really seem to be like the first books in the series. Normally the case is introduced right from the beginning and Lindsay and her friends are swept up into it, but this time around it appears there is a break with that. I started to wonder if anything was going to happen. She goes to a sleepy little town, her friends are still in the city, and the only thing she seems to be doing is fixing up an old car. Then, she has to go back to the city for her trial. It was lacking a lot of action compared to the rest of the series. Trouble seems to follow Lindsay wherever she goes, though, because she ends up getting involved in a murder investigation in this sleepy town. She is supposed to be relaxing, but she has never been known to stay away from the job for long.

I ended up liking this book because I was surprised in the end. I had a good idea of how most of the conclusion was going to play out, but there was one aspect of it that I had totally missed! I like it when you just assume things about people, and then the author shows you that you really shouldn't have been assuming after all! It kept me from entirely solving the case. It might have been because I was a bit bored with the first part of the book, so I wasn't paying as much attention as I normally do! Anyway, I enjoyed being surprised. This is a fun series, but like I said in my previous post, rather like brain candy. I stopped reading the series for a bit after this one. I am getting there, though. There are two more books in the series out in paperback, then book seven is out in hardcover, and book eight is coming out sometime in the next couple months. Since I will only read them when I can find them second-hand, though, it will probably be a while before I get through the series!

A couple people on the previous post commented on the television series, which I had entirely forgotten about! I really don't watch much television. Anyway, is it even still on? Did anyone watch it?

3rd Degree by James Patterson (The Women's Murder Club Series, Book 3)

Books Completed: 35
Completion Date: Feruary, 2009
Pages: 368
Publication Year: January 1, 2005

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Detective Lindsay Boxer and Assistant District Attorney Jill Bernhardt are enjoying a quiet afternoon in San Francisco when a townhouse across the street explodes in flames. A sinister note signed "August Spies" is found at the scene of the disaster, and the body of an infant who was asleep in the house at the time of the explosion cannot be found. Soon a wave of violent incidents, all with links to political terrorism and involving "August Spies," sweeps through the city. An upcoming economic summit of the world's most powerful nations will surely be a target. And it's up to the Women's Murder Club to get to the bottom of the violence before it's too late. Delivering the breakneck pace and never-saw-it-coming plot twists that have made James Patterson the most addictive writer at work today, 3rd DEGREE is another searing and unforgettable thriller from the nation's #1 bestselling suspense writer.

Okay, so I for some reason started this series last year. I really should go read my review (if I wrote one) of the first book, because I still have no idea what possessed me to start this series! James Patterson is not an author that has ever really interested me. Last weekend, though, I was feeling like I was starting so many series and not working on ones that I had already started, so I picked up this book in the end so I could feel like I was accomplishing something.

The thing about this series is that they are a dime a dozen. That's not to say that I don't like the books, but time goes by and I find that I can't really remember who the characters are and what the books were about. This book will stay with me hopefully at least long enough to review it, but I only started to remember what happened in the previous two books when I was reading this one. So, no offense to the James Patterson fans of the world, but this is my brain candy. I pick up one of the books in the series, I read it, and then I largely forget about it. There are a few moments that stick in my mind, but largely these are not very memorably written. I do like this series enough to carry on with it, though.

The main character in this series is Lindsay Boxer. She is a police detective who is in charge of some really brutal crimes. This book is no exception. I also read book four in the series last weekend, which I plan to review tomorrow, but book three is probably my favourite so far in the series. I actually felt something for the characters, which I guess means the series is growing on me! The Women's Murder Club is four women that work together (unofficially) to solve Lindsay's cases when she finds that she doesn't know where to go next. It is a really good idea, and you can feel the friendship between the women in the little things. That is captured in the storyline. I think that is why I like the series, it reminds me of my group of friend. There are five of us, and only two live in the same place anymore. We get together once in a while, but it has been years since all five of us managed to coordinate time together.

Anyway, the book description says a breakneck pace and that you wouldn't know what's coming. I didn't really find the book moved that fast, really. It was just a quick read. As to the mystery, I often have the cases solved well before the characters in the books do. I watch NCIS and used to watch CSI and often found it was the same. So, maybe Patterson surprises others, but he really doesn't surprise me!

2nd Chance by James Patterson

2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--and the killer knows who they are.

I must say, I am enjoying this reading thing I have been doing lately... I think I have read more books in the last week than I have read in some of the previous months, so I am pretty happy about that. I am reading like I used to is what I am really saying! It's great!

Anyway, James Patterson is not an author that I would normally read, but I enjoyed the previous book in this series, 1st to Die, and decided that it was about time that I saw what happened next in the series. It is a nice, quick read, so it was good to throw that in to the mix. I finished it late at night, and I have to say, it was perfect late night reading. I will probably continue on with the series. (It is up to book seven, now.) I don't love the books, but they are good, nonetheless.

The main character in the series is Lindsay Boxer. After the events in the previous novel, she has been promoted to Lieutenant. The events of the last case were tough on her, though, so she hasn't really got back in the game yet. This is the case that brings it all back; and it is not a case that is any easier on her. Teaming up with three other women, The Women's Murder Club is back in session. Lindsay might also find this case just a little bit too personal, though, and at times, a little hard for her to handle.

The other three women add some interesting subplots to the story. We have Cindy who is a reporter for the Chronicle. The events of the past sky-rocketed her career and she is always the first to have an exclusive, but, at the same time, she is very good at getting to the bottom of things when the police find themselves stuck. Claire is Lindsay's best friend, so they go way back. She is the sort of woman that is always in control, but at the same time she is a lot of fun to read about. She is a medical examiner and one of the finest in her field. Lastly, we have Jill. Jill is a very driven Assistant District Attorney. They are all very typical working women, though, balancing their life outside of their careers with the very demanding positions that they hold. I can see why this series works for so many people.

As to my thoughts on the book. I enjoy them. They are fun reads, but not exceptionally written. I own second-hand paperbacks of them. I don't think they are the sort of books that I would rush right out and buy, that's for sure! If I read the next book, I read the next book. If I don't, well, I have plenty of series on the go that I enjoy a lot more. That being said, I own the next book, so I am sure I will get to it eventually!

Sam's Letters to Jennifer - James Patterson [July/06]

This is actually a reread for me, something that I don't do very often, but I was at the bookstore and it was rereleased in mass market. I decided that if it came to the second hand bookstore, I would buy it. So, the other day it came to the second hand store and I bought it. Now I have to read Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas again because like this book, I bought it second hand when it came out in mass market. James Patterson is not a typical author for me, I have only ever read these two books and the two that I posted about earlier this summer. This is a worthwhile book, though.

From the back of the book:

Grief-stricken by a recent tragedy, Jennifer returns to the resort village where she grew up to help her beloved grandmother. There, Jennifer will not only discover new meaning in life - and experience not one, but two of the most amazing love stories ever.

I don't read a lot of romance, but I will read Nicholas Sparks. This James Patterson novel reminds me of Nicholas Sparks and is why I cannot help loving it. With a reread you never know if you will like it as much as you did the first time through, but while this a very simplistically written novel, it was still great for the second time. Hopefully Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas will be the same.

I noticed this in the opening pages of this novel, and I thought it was a wonderful reason to read this book:

Dear Reader,

Let me tell you an extraordinary story about my best-selling novel Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas.

Soon after it was published, I was on a television show and the host shared this story with me: The previous night he had given Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas to his wife to read. He went off to sleep, only to be awakened by his wife at 2:30 in the morning. She apologized profusely and said she'd just finished the book, and "I had to hug you and tell you how much I love you"

That is why I wrote Sam's Letters to Jennifer. Please enjoy it and spread the word.

All my best,
-James Patterson

See, now that is a good reason to write a book, isn't it?

In the novel, the main character, Jennifer is not having a very good last few years. An accident left her broken-hearted and all she has in her life to keep her happy is Sam. Then one day, a phone call come in that Sam is in the hospital and her life comes crashing down around her once more. It is only with returning to her childhood summer home that she finds the missing pieces to her life. Things will not be easy, but she has found a gift that will get her through the dark days and help her find the light at the end of the tunnel.

A very touching love story.

4.5/5

When the Wind Blows - James Patterson [May/06]

This is only the fourth time a James Patterson novel that has appealed to me. He is not a writer of the literature I am generally drawn to, but this book, and its sequel, The Lake House had something appealing about them for whatever reason. I read these books backwards, of course, but I enjoyed them. This one states on the back:

Frannie O'Neil is a talented Colorado veterinarian haunted by her husband's murder. But the course of her life about to change again. After another bizarre killing, Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent, arrives on her doorstep. And late one night Frannie stumbles upon a strange, astonishing phenomenon.

Her name is Max. Only eleven years old, she will lead Frannie and Kit to uncover one of the most diabolical and inhuman plots of modern science.

I gained info on this book when a new novel was released by this author about something along the same lines. Thinking it looked interesting, my friend lent me these two. I at first thought it was sort of a science fiction type novel, but is actually a very possible near future. For all anyone knows, something not so different than it can be occuring in today's world.

It is a novel of genetic manipulation and engineering. Max, and her friends, were born in the matter of science. Altered so as to be "superhumans", their parents were told they were dead and thought never to see their children again. In the meantime, these children were locked up in a School where they were tested constantly. If a child did not match up to the scientists and doctors ideals, they were put to sleep. Something that Max and her friends worry about constantly. But one night Max and her brother, Matthew, risk everything for a chance at freedom and drastically change their life as they know it.

It was an interesting novel, not just for how disturbing it is, but because these children are delightful. They have amazing intelligence, but at the same time they have lived such a sheltered life. Ever moment spent on the outside is one new experience for them. Just in case that doesn't appeal to you, they can fly.

3.5/5

The Lake House - James Patterson [May/06]

This novel is the sequel to When the Wind Blows. I borrowed this one, but the person that lent it to me was not aware that there was another book to go with it. She has it now. I read this one and then bought the other for really cheap. She collects Patterson, though, so I gave it to her to add to her collection.

This novel takes place after the children have been returned to their biological family. When "When the Wind Blows" finishes, the children are over-joyed about being returned to their parents, but now the reality of the situation has set in. This children may not have had much during their captivity, but they had each other and now they find themselves alone. They believe that in the world today where they are obviously different, it is time to be brought back together.

Their parents claim to love them, but you can safely see that they do not have the first idea how to raise "different" children. The youngest of the children are being pushed into acting careers, the press follows them everywhere they go, and the world pretends to understand while making fun of them at the same time. They believe that it is best for them that they end up with Kit and Frannie, the FBI and vet that saved them from the School in the first place, so they find themselves at court wishing that they are given what they want out of the world.

At the same time they are not completely safe from the world at large. Max was used at the School to do the work of some of the scientists because she could do it much quicker. Therefore, she knows a great deal that she was never supposed to be set free with. We find Max still frigtened of the idea that she will be put to sleep and trying to keep her "family" together. She had been ingrained with the idea that to tell meant death, but when once again her family is threatened she has to make the decision that will mean that everyone will be safe and they can be together as a family. A decision that goes against everything that she was taught in her dreaded School.

These novels are light reads with dark subject matter. The reviews on Amazon make them look like horrible novels, but Patterson gets the point across without being too hard to take. It is a couple hour read, but in a world where science is making advances, not a totally impossible novel.

3.5/5